N 2 January, 2009 Gleaning updates for WWF Coastal Forests (SAWA) Programme, Cameroon FACTSHEET Korup Eco-guards undergoing training on land navigation Produced by: The Communications unit WWF Coastal Forests (SAWA) Programme, Cameroon Contact us: GRA Bota BP 1169 Limbe Republic of Cameroon Tel: (237) 33 33 34 17 (237) 99 50 36 18 Email : Jmolisa@wwfcarpo.org Website: www.panda.org WWF SAWA PROGRAMME IN THE KORUP NATIONAL PARK Bio - monitoring and its implication in park management WWF Coastal Forests (SAWA) Programme: Involving local communities to conserve a healthy natural environment and a healthy human society
Involving Eco-guards in Park Monitoring Korup National Park was created in October 1986 to protect one of Africa s richest rainforests characterised by high levels of endemism. Despite all these riches, the park is threatened by unsustainable levels of poaching, harvesting of Non Timber Forests Products and encroachment. In the years past, Park Monitoring was limited to four 5Km transects in the Southern Sector of the Park and later timidly extended to three transects of varied lengths in the North Eastern Sector where data were collected on a monthly basis. After the phasing out of Korup Project in 2003 and the onset of funding from KfW in 2006, a sweep biological and human activity surveys was completed for the entire Park in 2007 with outstanding results (Ekobo et al, 2007). A NEW APPROACH The guards receive backstopping from the WWF Korup Site Manager on the use of the Cybertracker on a monthly basis. In June 2007 a high-tech training programme, was introduced by WWF Coastal Forests Programme in Korup National Park. Data are being collected by trained Eco-guards and analysed to produce trends that are useful for Park protection and surveillance. ON THE FIELD Korup National Park has an Eco-guard strength of 23 to cover 126,000 hectares of nearly pristine tropical rainforest. IMPLEMENTATION Presently, Eco-guards are placed on antipoaching patrols for 21 days per month. They collect data using a well conceived logical sequence (cybertracker). The park is divided into three operational sectors; North West, North East and Southern sectors. Regular trips are made to these sectors from Mundemba to execute anti-poaching operations. BUILDING CAPACITIES Eco-guards training comprised of modules as follows: various Mobile application of cybertraker Land navigation with GPS and maps GPS navigation with compass The use of a handheld computer (Tripod Data System Recon), and The identification of large mammals. Training on Hand-Held PCs loaded with Cybertracker software Page 2
PRELIMINARY RESULTS O ver 700 data entries were collected between June 2007 and November 2008 out of which 630 were geo-referenced. Poaching camps also show a similar pattern of distribution mainly in the Southern end, South- Eastern, Mid and North Eastern Sectors of the Park. Analysis of the data would result to the production of geo-spatial distribution of wildlife, poaching and the gathering of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) such as Bush Mango (Irvingia sp), Cane (Ancistrophylum sp), Chewing Stick (Masularia acuminata), and Hausa Stick (Carpolobea lutea). NTFP collection especially Chewing Stick and Hausa Stick is intensive in the Southern part towards Akpassang, Erat and Mosongisele. NTFPs are exported through the river port of Akpassang to Nigeria where there is a ready market. Layers in red indicate poaching signs 135 poaching signs have been recorded as against 24 NTFP gathering signs. Poaching signs are common in the South- East, Mid, North and North Eastern sectors of the Park. Page 3
WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION ver 330 direct sightings of wildlife have O been recorded including Preuss s Red Colobus, Mona Monkey, Red River Hog, Crowned Monkey, Ogilbyi Duiker, Red-Capped Mangabey, Rosette-eared Monkey, Elephant, Drill, Blue Duiker, Yellow-backed Duiker, Puttynosed monkey and Chimpanzee. Field equipment for navigating and data collection Data collection using the Cybertracker software is efficient in Park Monitoring. It is easily managed and acts as a means of monitoring Eco-guards movements in the field using the geo-referenced data. I t is easily displayed on GIS. Layers in white indicate wildlife distribution Field staff recording wildlife signs Wildlife is recorded more in the South-Eastern part of the Park, around Yuhan Hills (1100m high) and in the North of the Park where the terrain is more rugged. Ikondo kondo Old Site seem to be another safe haven for key wildlife species. The 2007 bio-monitoring surveys revealed that poaching and wildlife correlation coefficient was p<0.05 indicating that poaching in Korup has not reached a critically endangering level. Elephant dung a sign of elephant presence Page 4
An Eco-guard manipulating a handheld computer WWF SAWA Programme Vision To Promote the conservation of Cameroon s globally important coastal region landscapes and seascapes to meet the ecological needs of wildlife and habitats while minimising human-wildlife conflicts and maximising benefits to resident populations. WWF MISSION STATEMENT The global mission of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is to stop the degradation of the planets natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature by; Conserving the world s biological diversity Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption Key Donors: WWF Sweden KfW WWF Netherlands Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Cameroon www.panda.org